Sergeant offers his best shot

WAR IMAGES: Army chief Major General Rhys Jones, left, is shown images of Afghanistan taken by air force Sergeant Chris Weissenborn on display at Pataka Museum of Arts and Culture in Porirua.

Sergeant Chris Weissenborn has spent a tour of duty in Afghanistan shooting not with his rifle, but his camera.

His photographs feature in "Bamiyan in the heart of Afghanistan", a photo exhibition recently opened at Pataka Museum of Arts and Culture in Porirua. It celebrates the friendly city relationship between Bamiyan and Porirua and explores the history and culture of the strife-torn region through crafts, stories and images.

The New Zealand Defence Force's provincial reconstruction team is based in Bamiyan.

Sergeant Weissenborn, a North Shore resident who works for the air force photographic unit, travelled to the region in August with the first civilian journalist embedded with the Defence Force, Alex van Wel of Christchurch.

He says working in a war zone is risky business.

"Photographically speaking, Afghanistan was a really difficult location to work. It's very hot, extremely dusty and not only did I need to carry all my photo gear, I was also carrying a lot of heavy military kit," he says.

"On patrols you must remember that you're a soldier first, photographer second.

"It's important you thoroughly assess any area you're operating in first, before you start shooting with the camera. Safety and looking after your mates is top priority," he says.

Sergeant Weissenborn's panoramic photo of Bamiyan valley dominates the entrance to the Pataka exhibition. His photos of Afghan children, landscapes and the reconstruction team in action all form a key part. He spent 17 years in the Royal Air Force before emigrating to New Zealand, where he has worked for the navy photo unit in Devonport.

- © Fairfax NZ News